


AU Yeah AUgust

by deathbysandblk



Category: Dead Poets Society (1989)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-02
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-06-20 12:49:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15534591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deathbysandblk/pseuds/deathbysandblk
Summary: Soulmates au where soulmates have a random phrase their soulmate will say on their skin and then when they hear the phrase uttered, it disappears and they know that person is their soulmate.





	AU Yeah AUgust

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to @lnc2 on tumblr for AU Yeah AUgust! I am using their au calendar for anderperry this month! 
> 
> I used the first prompt on this: http://virgno.tumblr.com/post/149729543490/soulmate-au-where-instead-of-having-the-first
> 
> So thank you very much to them for the prompt idea! 
> 
> This strays away from canon towards the end, just to let you know. ( I mean it is an au so that’s kind of implied, but I just wanted to say that). 
> 
> I hope you all like it! :D

Neil was around the age six when he started noticing the tattoos on people’s arms. Pretty much everyone in his class had one, including himself, and many of them were the weirdest, most preposterous sentences he had ever seen. This could be due, of course, to the fact that he was six and six-year-olds were not known to have the best vocabulary, but he still had a steadfast determination to find out what the words on his arm meant. 

After school that day, when his mom picked him up, he asked,

“Mom, why do a lot of people have weird words on their arms? What do they mean?”

His mom, a timid and sheepish woman, simply replied,

“You don’t need to know about that. Someone will tell you when you’re older.”

He knew better than to ask his father. His father was always very busy and when he came home from work often had no time for him, instead choosing to be holed up in his study, reading or on a business call. 

Although he was disappointed with the answer his mother had given him, he was still determined to find out the meaning of the strange words etched upon his, and most others, arms. 

The next day at school, he was playing at recess, when a boy, slightly taller than him with a mischievous grin on his face came up to him and said,

“I heard you’ve been asking around about the tattoos?”

“Tattoos? What does that mean?”

“The words on our arms.”

“Oh! Yes, I have! What do they mean?”

The boy brought Neil over to an area where no one was around and he said,

“My ma said they’re words that ‘a special someone’ will say to you someday. She says that person will be a huge part of your life.”

“Okay. Well I still don’t really understand, but thanks for telling me, uh, what’s your name?”

“Charlie,” the boy said, extending his hand and with a big grin on his face.

“Nice to meet you, Charlie.” 

***

Neil was sixteen now. Ever since that day that Charlie had told him the basics about what he came to find out were called “soulmate tattoos”, he was determined to find out everything he could about them. Also since that day, Charlie and him had become best friends. 

Even with all of the interviewing people and looking at their words, Neil still felt that his words didn’t really make any sense. Sure, a lot of the phrases that showed up in tattoo form on people’s skin didn’t make sense out of context, but Neil studied his phrase which was “a sweaty-toothed madman with a stare that pounds my brain” and wondered what the context for such a phrase could be. He read through book after book, trying to find any reference to a “sweaty-toothed madman” but he had found nothing. What could this possibly mean? 

Neil spent his entire summer trying to come close to finding a meaning for his tattoo, but he found nothing. Charlie always told him he would drive himself crazy doing this, that the right person would come along, but Neil was starting to get worried. He worried daily about who his soulmate was and what they would be like and were they a boy? This last question he only ever kept to himself, not sure how anyone around him would react to his asking of such a question, but he had to know. Since Neil was younger, he had always been gay and he knew it. So he worried about the day that he met his soulmate. The only other thing his mother had ever said to him regarding the whole soulmate situation was that “he would meet a nice girl someday”. Hardly anyone in his class had met their soulmate yet, but all those who had were straight. Did same-sex soulmates exist? Was he weird? Was he alone? Would he have to live a lie for his entire life? These were questions that haunted him daily and kept him awake at night. 

Some of these questions were answered finally the day Charlie found out who his soulmate was. Neil remembered being in his room, studying for a Trig exam, when Charlie burst into the room and said,

“Neil! I found him!”

Neil looked up. “Found who?” he asked.

“My soulmate! Neil, I found my soulmate!”

Neil smiled really big and told Charlie he wanted to hear everything, which was true, but on the inside, he was throwing a party. His best friend had a male soulmate! It was possible! 

“So, you know how Meeks and I always sit next to each other in Chem?”

“Yes?”Neil asked, confusedly because he thought Charlie would want to be telling him about his soulmate, not Meeks.

“Well, Meeks dropped his pencil and so I bent down to pick it up for him. I said, ‘you gotta watch where you throw those things!’ and then Meeks gasped. He said, ‘I-you-what?’ and then the words on my arm just disappeared.” 

Neil knew that words disappearing meant his soulmate had said the words to him so that must mean…

“Meeks is your soulmate?”

“Yeah! He is! And I’m so happy, Neil! I’ve had a crush on him for so long.”

“You did? You never told me that.”

Charlie sighed and looked a little guilty.

“I know, Neil, and I’m sorry, but I didn’t know how you would feel about me liking a boy. I’m not ashamed of who I am, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to lose my best friend over it.”

Neil’s jaw had dropped open and Charlie looked scared.

“Neil?”

Neil snapped out of it and said,

“I didn’t know how you would feel about me being gay!”

“You’re gay?”

“Yeah! I’ve always known, but I didn’t tell you for the same reasons!”

The two of them hugged and then Neil asked if they could talk.

“Yeah, Neil, what’s up?” asked Charlie concernedly.

“I’m a little worried that my soulmate won’t be a man.”

Charlie said,

“The soulmate system knows people better than they even know themselves. I wouldn’t worry about it. Whoever your soulmate is, they’re the perfect person for you, trust me.” 

***  
The first day of junior year, Neil introduced himself to the new boy and his new roommate, a boy named Todd Anderson. He did a double take upon seeing him for the first time because he was so stunning, but he managed to pull himself together and just talk to him. Being new in general is hard, but at Welton, where there’s so much pressure to be the best one can be, well, Neil figured Todd would need some friends, or at least, familiar faces to help him get by. 

Neil noticed how shy Todd is and he felt for the boy. But he wanted to try everything he could to make the boy feel welcome and included. He was determined to befriend him. When his friends came in and talked about the study group they were gonna be forming, Neil made sure Todd was invited. Even though he doesn’t end up going, Neil still wanted to make it clear that he was always welcome.   
Having always been interested in each person’s tattoo and what they said, Neil was very curious to see Todd’s, but he was never able to see it. He knew that Todd was a very private person and very shy and so he figured he should stop trying to see it since Todd probably hid it on purpose. 

When the English teacher, Mr. Keating, told them about a club he used to be a member of called the Dead Poets Society, Neil was eager to get it started again. Charlie, always having been one to call along with his plans, agreed to be in it as well. All of his other friends-Knox, Pitts, Meeks, Cameron, and, of course, Todd-were also invited. Some of them, including Todd, seemed very reluctant to join. It didn’t really surprise Neil that Todd hesitated. He did everything he could to accommodate for Todd, having him be secretary so he didn’t have to participate, but could still be present. 

The school year was getting off to a pretty good start. The boys were starting to get settled into their courses and Neil kept trying to befriend his shy roommate. Mr. Keating, after his lesson one day, told them each that they would have to create an original poem to recite in front of the class. Neil knew this assignment would be tricky for Todd, but he was also very interested in hearing what Todd would write about. Whenever he wasn’t working, Todd was always writing and Neil was excited at the prospect of getting a look into what Todd wrote. 

Neil wrote his poem and he didn’t think it was very good, but at least he had given it a try. He decided to go into town to pick up a newspaper and maybe some candy. He felt he deserved it because he had finished his homework. While in town, he noticed a poster hanging on the town board. Having just talked about Shakespeare in Keating’s class, Neil approached the poster when he saw the words “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare. As he read the poster, he was getting more and more excited. They were gonna be holding open tryouts! He went to Henley Hall, where the auditions would be held, to inquire about getting a copy of the flyer. Once he had done so, he ran home, excited to tell Todd. 

When he went into the room, he noticed Todd was sitting on his bed, scribbling furiously. He told Todd all about the auditions and although Todd seemed nervous about it at first, because of what his father would say if he found out, he eventually seemed happy for him. Todd told him that he could take care of himself, but Neil wasn’t having any of that. When one is in Neil Perry’s life, they’re there to stay. He takes care of his friends. Friend...is that what Todd was to him? Not really, but he’d take that over not having Todd in his life at all. 

He took the opportunity while Todd was distracted to grab Todd’s notebook and see what he had been working on. He was shocked to discover it was the poetry assignment Keating had given them. Todd chased after him trying to get his notebook back, but he wasn’t going to just hand it over that easily. Cameron came in and asked them why they were making so much noise and soon enough, the whole gang was in the room, joining in on the fun. Neil couldn’t wait until poetry day. He knew Todd’s would be the best. 

***  
The day for poetry reciting had arrived and Neil was very excited. He was leaning towards wanting to get his poem over with so he wouldn’t have to worry about it anymore, but he definitely didn’t want to go first so he decided maybe he would go second. 

Luckily, Knox volunteered to go first and read his poem about a girl named Chris that he wished was his soulmate, but was definitely not. She had already met her soulmate and so Neil cringed listening to Knox’s poem. He knew the guy was desperate for love, but he didn’t have to be such a creep about it. 

He was getting ready to volunteer to go second when Mr. Keating spoke up. Knox had apologized for his poem being “stupid” and Keating told Knox that it was “a good effort” and then he called on Hopkins to go next since he had been laughing at Knox. Neil thought maybe he would go third then. 

After Hopkins poor attempt, if one could even call it that, Keating asked who’s next and Neil was about to raise his hand again when Keating looked at Todd. He told Todd he should just get it over with when Todd said he hadn’t written a poem. Neil was taken aback when he said that. He knew Todd had written a poem. He’d read it! Neil honestly wished Keating would just let him be. He obviously was uncomfortable, but Keating wasn’t the type to just let things be. He made Todd stand up in front of everyone. 

Neil was nervous for Todd. He knew he couldn’t be enjoying this experience at all. He wanted so badly for Keating to go easy on him. He watched as Keating tried to get Todd to “YAWP”. The first few attempts were quiet until Keating had badgered Todd enough to make him let out a loud “YAWP!”. Neil watched as Todd tried to sit down, thinking he was done, when Keating had him look at the photo of Walt Whitman on the wall. He told Todd to tell him what it reminded him of without thinking. Just to say the first thing that popped into his head. Todd said a madman.  
At hearing that word, Neil felt a weird sense of familiarity. He couldn’t quite place it. Keating kept at Todd, telling him to describe the madman and at first he said crazy, but then Keating told him to use his imagination and he said “a sweaty-toothed madman”.

Upon hearing this, Neil clutched his arm. Could it be? Could Todd be his soulmate? But no, he hadn’t said the whole phrase, only part of it. Neil kept watching Todd, hoping upon hope that he was his soulmate. 

Neil watched on as Todd closed his eyes and said,

“Uh, I-I close my eyes-

Uh and this image floats beside me.

A sweaty-toothed madman with a stare that pounds my brain-”

At this, Neil gasped as the words disappeared from his wrist. 

Mr. Keatng looked at him. 

“Mr. Perry?”

“Uh, I’m sorry, so sorry, I’ve uh, got to go. I think I’m gonna be sick-,”

Keating gestured to him that he could leave the class.

Neil wasn’t sure what was happening in the classroom. He just knew he had to get out of there. He was freaking out. His soulmate was Todd! Todd was his soulmate! He couldn’t even believe it. All this time he had been crushing on his actual soulmate! He was so happy, but then he remembered that if his parents ever found out, they’d kill him. And then he started freaking out again. 

He just kept pacing back and forth in his room, unsure of what to do. He kept doing that until he heard a knock and the door and Todd said,

“Neil? Are you in there?”

“I am,” said Neil who kept on pacing.

Todd came in and Neil looked up at him, instantly feeling guilty. Todd looked sad and ashamed and embarrassed and all the things Neil was trying to help him be more confident about. And Neil had made him feel that way. He was so annoyed with himself.

“Neil? Did I? I mean, um, are you? Did it happen to you too?”

Neil nodded. “Yes, you’re my soulmate!”

“Umm, are you, I mean, is that okay with you?”

“Yes, Todd, yes it is!” said Neil, wrapping his arms around Todd.

“Okay good,” said Todd, a relieved smile on his face. “I just wasn’t sure because you left and I thought-,”

“I was just so shocked. I mean, I had liked you for so long and-”

“You liked me?”

“Yeah, I-”

“I liked you too. Just didn’t know how to say it.”

Just then, there was a knock at the door.

“Yes?” asked Neil, confusedly.

“Oh good, Neil. You’re in there. Are you okay?” Charlie asked.

“Yes, Charlie. I’m good. Really, really good,” Neil said, looking at Todd. 

“Can I come in?”

“Yes, come on in.”

Charlie came in, saw Neil and Todd standing close to each other, looked down at their wrists and then went,

“Wait, are you two-?”

Neil smiled and Todd buried his face in Neil’s shoulder.

“We’re soulmates!” Neil said excitedly.

As it always did, the loud commotion eventually drew in a crowd as everyone wanted to hear the story about what had happened to Neil just now in English class. Everyone congratulated them and celebrated, but eventually Neil kicked them out. He knew Todd didn’t like the crowds and also he wanted to spend some alone time with his roommate-turned friend-turned soulmate. 

To Neil, it didn’t matter if his parents didn’t accept him, all that mattered was that he had found his soulmate and it was someone he was ecstatic to spend the rest of his life with!


End file.
